Investing in a digital future

There is no stopping digitalization in the healthcare sector. Modern IT makes a contribution to increasing the efficiency of processes in hospitals – not simply to conserve budgets, but also to improve the quality of patient care. To enable a shared “language”, DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) provides an international IT standard, which regulates the storing and exchange of information in the healthcare sector. DICOM also applies to the creation and reproduction of image files, for example X-ray images. And it is precisely in this environment that South-East Bavaria Clinics has chosen to invest in their digital future.

Replacing a process that was time and cost intensive

The not-for-profit limited company South-East Bavaria Clinics AG is a conglomeration of six hospitals. The organization takes care of more than 50,000 patients annually in its locations in Bad Reichenhalt, Berchtesgaden, Freilassing, Ruhpolding, Traunstein and Trostberg. Although the clinic in Traunstein has its own radiology department, the other hospitals in the network depend on radiology practices in their local area. In the past, the procedure was as follows: classical prints of X-ray images had to be delivered from a practice (or internal department) to the appropriate station. “Meaning that this print had to travel a physical distance,” says Stefan Popp, IT Manager for the South-East Bavaria Clinics AG, by way of explanation. “What’s more, every single print cost a few euros. During the course of one year, we were spending enormous amounts of money, just for material for X-ray images.”